Change-speed drive for machine tool spindles



. July 24, 1951 w. w. POTTER ETAL SPEED DRIVE FOR MACHINE TOOL SPINDLES CHANGE- Original Filed May 2a, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 1174444! W44 1.4:: Parr-:4

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CHANGE-SPEED DRIVE FOR MACHINE TOOL SP INDLES Original Filed May 26, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Immmmnmnunmmm July 24, 1951 Original Filed May 26, 1944 w. w. POTTER ETAL 2,561,753

CHANGE-SPEED DRIVE FOR MACHINE TOOL SPINDLES 4 Sheets-$heet 5 Jul 24, 1951' w. w. POTTER ETAL 2,561,753

CHANGE-SPEED DRIVE FOR MACHINE TOOL SPINDLES Original Filed May 26, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORJ M4404! 114441.40; 077.50

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Patented July 24, 1951 CHANGE-SPEED DRIVE FOR MACHINE TOOL SPINDLES William Wallace Potter and Alfred Joseph Fuller,

Pawtucket, R. 1., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Niles-Bement-iond Company, West Hartford, Conn., a corporation of New Jersey Original application May 26, 1944, Serial No.

537,490, now Patent No. 2,455,876, dated December 7, 1948. Divided and this application August 8, 1947, Serial No. 767,460

Claims. 1

The present invention relatesto a change-speed mechanism applicable to machines having a movable part or member to be driven selectively at different speeds and has particular application to machine tools and especially those machine tools having a rotatable spindle and a cooperating reciprocating part or carriage movable to and fro relative to the spindle, the latter supporting the work-piece and said carriage supporting a tool holder, or vice versa.

This application is a division of copending application Serial No. 537,490, filed May 26, 19%, now Letters Patent No. 2,455,876, granted December 7, 1948.

In'machine tools, the rotative movement of the spindle is termed the speed and the movement of the reciprocating part or carriage or slide is divided into fast or idle motion and slow or work performing motion, the latter motion being termed the feed.

The object of the present invention is the provision of a very simple, less expensive, novel and efficient change-speed mechanism that includes a device for obtaining at least four speed-changes of the spindle and a device for obtaining fast motion and at least three feed-changes of the slide and carriage in a manner which will insure that no damage will be done to the machine, or the instrumentality operated by the machine, or to the work-piece, being operated on or by the machine.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means in the spindle speed-change mechanism for changing the speed range of the machine, in dependently of the speed-change device or the usual hand-change gears, whereby the range of the machine may be increased or decreased for different classes of materials being worked-upon, thus greatly widening the capacity and use of the machine.

While speed-change and feed-change devices are numerous in the art, it is believed that the construction and organization of parts of the present invention is novel, and since its utility has been proven, it constitutes a valuable improvement in the art.

The invention, therefore, resides in that which is shown and described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings which show preferred embodiment of the invention as now devised and used:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine tool, of the automatic turret type, to which the invention is applied as one illustration of its use;

Figure 2 is an end view of the head-stock of the machine tool and looking from the left hand end of Fig. 1, with a portion of the casing broken away to illustrate the gear assembly and the headstock of the machine;

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a lay-out of the gearing and are to be read together, Figure 3 being the drive between the source of power for the machine and its spindle 2! in which drive the spindlespeed-change mechanism of this invention is interposed and Figure 4 being the drive between the spindle 2i and the slide or carriage 23 or 25 in which drive the feed-change mechanism of this invention is interposed.

Throughout the specification and drawings the likecharacters and references denote similar and like parts in the several views. In order that a better understanding may be had of the present invention a brief description will now be given of the machine tool with which the present invention'is illustrated as one example of its application.

The machine tool shown in Figure 1 is of the general pattern and organization found in automatic turret lathes, in that it comprises a headstock 20 in which is disposed and journalled a horizontal spindle 2 I, a gear drive from a source of power .M to the spindle, the change-speed mechanism of the present invention, a selective control device H2 is automatically, as well as manually by keys K, controlling the operation of the machine, and the turret lathe further includes a bed 24 disposed at one side of the headstock 20 and upon which the turret slide 23 is reciprocably mounted for movement longitudinally with respect to the spindle and toward and away from the chuck 22 carried on the outer end of the spindle and, also, upon which are mounted the cross-slides 25 disposed between the chuck 22 and the turret slide 23 for reciprocatory movement at substantially right angles to the movement of the turret slide, the turret slide 23 being actuated by the cam I35 which in turn is actuated by a ,feed shaft 30 from the spindle or spindle drive through a feed-change device and the cross-slide 25 being actuated, preferably, by the movements of the turret slide toward and from the chuck.

As fully described and shown in the copending application above mentioned, the feed shaft '30, is driven from a feed drive, within the headstock (see Figs. 2 and 4) to actuate the turret slide 23 and the cross-slides 25. The spindle 2i and the feed shaft 30 are revolved at difierent speeds which are automatically selected, there being a driving connection between the "spindle and feed shaft by which the rate of feed cutting movement of the tool slides is controlled by the spindle speed. Also, the idle movements of the tool slides toward and from the work are driven at a constant high speed; and the rotation ofthe spindle may be stopped, under certain conditions during such high speed idle movements of the tool slides, so that the workpiece W in the chuck] will not revolve in order that tool marks on the work piece will not occur due to unintentional or accidental contact of the tools with the work during their fast idle motion. Furthermore, the

piece periphery inwardly, thus enabling more n rapid production of work by the machine under certain conditions as where facing cuts are. now performed simultaneously with other cuts.

With the above brief general description, the detailed description of the improved mechanism employed by the present invention will now proceed' HEADSTOCK Spindle and spindle drive With reference particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the bed 24 of the machine is a casting designed to support and, in some instances, enclose its mechanism, the head-stock end 29 thereof being formed to provide a casing for the powerplant motors, transmission mechanism, including the speed and feed change clutches and their selective-control and actuating means.

The spindle 2| is rotatably mounted in the end walls of the head-stock housing in bearings 21 and 28 (see Fig. 3) and is driven from a constant speed motor shaft 3| actuated from a pullley (not shown) or by an electric motor M supported. on an end wall of the headstock casing 29. The drive from the motor shaft 3| is through a gear 32 keyed thereon and meshing with idler gear 33 on shaft 34 which idler gear drives gear 35. These shafts and gears run at constant speed while the machine is in operation. From the driving gear 35, the gearing to the spindle 2| includes four automatic speed changes, one pair of hand-changed gears and shiftable gearing for converting the machine into a low or high speed machine, all of which being shown in extended arrangement in Figure 3 and the gearing for operating the feed shaft 39, turret-slide 23, clutch control mechanism 214, etc. being shown in Figure 4, while the entire gearing in Figures 3 and 4 is shown in its assembled arrangement in Figure 2.

With particular reference to Figures 2 and 3, it will be seen that there are two aligned rotatable shafts 35 and 31 mounted in suitable bearings in the headstock frame 20 and that the driving gear 35 is keyed to one end of the shaft 36 which may be regarded as the speed input shaft and that the shaft 31 may be regarded as the speed output shaft. Journaled in the headstock 2D in cooperative relation and parallel with'the aligned shafts 38 and 31 is a rotatable counter- .shaft 38which has rotatably mounted upon it the selected clutches. This 4 four clutches 39, 49, 4! and 42 arranged in two opposing pairs, each pair being served by a single sliding part or cone, respectively-for instance,

clutchheads 39 and 49 being served by the clutch cone 43 and clutch heads 4|and 42 being served by the clutch cone 44-thus, when the clutch cones 43 and 44 are engaged with any one of their clutch heads, the other clutch head of each pair is disengaged. The clutches may be of any suitable type although, in the present showing, discclutches are illustrated. The sliding parts or cones 43 and 44 are splined on the shaft 38 and are shifted by suitable yokes, as can be seen more particularly from Figure 3. Each of the clutch heads 39, 49, 4| and 42 have fast therewith gears 45, 46, 41, and 48, respectively, of different sizes to effect the automatic change speeds desired. The

Y gears 45 and 45 of clutch heads 33 and 40 mesh,

respectively, with their mating gears 49 and 59 fast on the speed input shaft 36 while the gears 4'? and 43 of clutch heads 4| and 42 mesh with their mating gears 5] and 52 fast on the speed output shaft 31. With this arrangement, to obtain the four automatic change speeds, the operation of the clutches is as follows:

1. To obtain the lowest speed of spindle operation, clutch cone 43 engages clutch head 49 and clutch cone 44 engages clutch head 42. With the parts in this position the drive from gear 35 is through shaft 36, gears 50 and 46 to shaft 38 which rotates gear 48 meshing with gear 52 fast on speed output shaft 31;

2. In order to obtain the second speed of spindle operation, clutch cone 43 remains engaged with clutch head 40 but cone 44 disengages clutch head 42 and engages clutch head 4|, the drive then being from speed input shaft 35 through gears 59, 46, shaft 38, gear 41, gear 5| to speed output shaft 31;

3. To secure the third speed of spindle operation, clutch cone 43 engages clutch head 39 (thereby disengaging clutch head 49) and clutch cone 44 engages clutch head 42, if not already in engagement therewith, whereby the drive is from input speed shaft 35 through gears 49, 45, shaft 38, gears 43 and 52, speed output shaft 31; and

4. To obtain the fourth and highest speed of spindle operation, the clutch cone 43 engages in clutch head 39, if not already in engagement therewith, and the clutch cone 44 is moved in engagement with the clutch head 4|, whereby the drive is from speed input shaft 36, gears 49 and 45, counter-shaft 38, gears 41, 5| to speed output shaft 31.

It will be recognized that any one of the abov described speed-change operations may be effected automatically by the selecting device H2, or manually by the lifting of certain of the keys K thereof, operably connected through control mechanism 214 (as shown in said copending application, as one example) one to each of the connectors 39, 40, 4| and 42, respectively. The connectors 39 and 40 are connected to opposite arms of a rocker-arm 298 which shifts the yoke 299 to engage the clutch cone 43 with either clutch head 39 or 49, respectively and disengage the other; while connectors 4| and 42 are connected to opposite arms of a rocker-arm 295 to shift the yoke 29! to engage clutch cone 44 with either clutch head 4| or 42 and disengage the other. i

From the above it will be observed that, during these four speed changes, one of each pair of clutch heads with their mating gears are always engaged while the other two clutch heads with their mating gears are run idle on the countershaft 38 and that any combination of two clutches may be engaged simultaneously within the limitation, of course, that when one clutch of a pair is engaged the other clutch of the same pair is disengaged.

The spindle drive continues from the speed output shaft 31 through hand-change gears 53 and 54 to shaft 55. These hand-changed gears are, respectively, fast on the outer ends of the shafts 31 and 55 so as to be accessible for quick manual change through a suitable door in the end wall of the headstock casing and maybe provided in groups to obtain different ranges of speeds in a manner and for a purpose well known in the art.

From shaft the machine may be converted from a low speed to a high speed machine, and conversely; but always influenced by the speed changes which are effected by the hand-change gears 53 and 54 and through the automatic clutches just described. By providing shaft 55 with multiple splines 56 on which a double gear 5'! and 51a slides and by moving the double gear 51 and 51a manually so that either the low speed gear '51 will mesh with its mating gear 58 or the high speed gear 51a will mesh with its mating gear 59, such change-over may be effected. It will be observed that gears 59 and 59 are keyed to a jack-shaft 69 and that gear 59 is in mesh witha gear 5| keyed to a sleeve bearing 62 in which the rear end of the spindle 2| is splined at 63 for longitudinal adjustment therein. The sleeve bearing 52, as is the shaft 55 and the lack shaft 60, is journaled at 28 in the headstock casing. 20 in suitable ball bearings,

Feed shaft drive 62 (Fig. 3) which has teeth as out therein meshing with a gear 69. The gear 69 is keyed to a jack shaft 10 which has a spur gear 69a fast thereto for driving gear '|l keyed to one end of a stub shaft 12 which also has gear 13 fast thereon to drive gear 15 (Fig. 4) through the 5 intermediate gear 14. The gear 15 is keyed to an input speed shaft 16 which is aligned with and rotatably independent of a main or output speed shaft 11 for imparting the requisite movements to the turret-slide 23 and the crossslides 25.

- From this input shaft 16, various feed changes may be obtained through the medium of handchange gears for thetool slides as well as three automatic feed changes of any selected feed obtained by the hand-change gears. -As shown in Figures 2 and 4, three separate and independent counter shafts 18, I9 and are grouped about the aligned input and output shafts 16 and 11 and suitably journaled in the housing 20. Each of these counter shafts 18, T9, and 80 has rotatably mounted thereon a clutch head BI, 83 and 85, respectively, each clutch head having a mating gear 82, 84 and 86 fast thereon, respectively, which gears are of different sizes, and mesh, respectively, with a cluster gear fast to the main feed clutch head 81 rotatably mounted on the output speed shaft 11. The cluster gear comprises three gear members 88, 89 and 90 respectively. Also, each of said counter shafts 1B, 19

andso has a sliding clutch part or cone 9|, 92

and 93, respectively, splined thereon for reciproeating into and out of engagement with the clutch heads on said counter shafts.

The output shaft 11 has aquick return clutch head 94 rotatably mounted thereon and carrying with it a mating gear 95. The clutch head 94 is inopposed cooperative relation with the main feed clutch Bl so as to be served by the clutch slide or cone 96 splined on the shaft 77, whereby one of the clutch heads 8! or 94 will be engaged when the other is disengaged or both disengaged when the cone is in a neutral position. The quick return clutch head is for connecting the shaft l! with the motor I99 for effecting quick idle motions of the tool slides 23, 25 and 26 and, to this end, its mating gear 95 is driven from a pinion 91' fast on the motor shaft 98through an intermediate gear 99.

The counter-shafts id, 19, and 80 are driven from the input shaft 16 through hand-change gears (Hi l, I02, Hi3, I04, I95 and MG) splined on the ends of said shafts so that they can be readily removed manually through a suitable opening in the casing 29 to effect various ratio combinations of speeds between the input shafts l6 and. said counter-shafts in a manner well known in the art. With the selection of hand-change gears shown, the line or first feed counter-shaft '18 of the feeding mechanism is driven by gears |9| and 92; the second or intermediate feed countershaft 79 is driven by gears |93 and I94; and the third or coarser feed counter-shaft 80 is driven by gears 15 and I06, all, as above stated, are hand-change gears Well known in the art.

The three automatic changes of speed of feed of the tool slides are obtained in the following manner:

1. For fine feed of movement of the tool slides and all of the clutch cones 9|, 92 and 93 being out of engagement with their respective clutch heads, the clutch cone 9| is moved into clutching engagement with the clutch head 8| and cone 96 is moved into engagement with main feed clutch head 81, thus the drive being from input shaft 16 through hand-change gears |5|, I92, shaft 18, clutch head 8 I, gears 82, 88,and main feed clutch head 81 to output shaft TI. It may be noted here that the clutch cone 96 is in engagement with the main feed clutch head 8'! during all feeding operations and is only moved out of engagement therewith when it is desired to effect the quick idle movements of the tool slide-s or when the feed mechanism is hand operated for setting-up or the machine stopped;

2. For the second or intermediate feed of the tool slides, and cones 9| and 93 being disengaged from their respective clutch heads, the cone 92 is moved in engagement with clutch head 83,, thus the drive being from input speed shaft 15, through hand-change gears I03, 34, shaft 79, clutch head 83, gears 84, 89, and main feed clutch head 81 to output shaft 11; and i i 3. For the third or coarse feed of tool slide and with the clutch cones l8 and I9 disengaged from their respective clutch heads, clutch cone 93 is moved into engagement with clutch head 95, thus the drive being from speed input shaft 15 through hand-change gears I95, I05, shaft 89. clutch head 85, gears 86, 90, and main feed clutch head 81 to output shaft 7].

It will be recognized that any one of the above described feed-change operations may be effected automatically by the selecting device I I2 or manually by lifting certain of the key K thereof, operatively connected one to each of the connectors 8|", SI, 83, 83 85 and 85, respectively, as disclosed in the aforesaid copending application. The connectors 8I and ti are connected to opposite arm of a rocker-arm 3I2 which shifts the yoke 3M to engage or disengage cone 9i with clutch 8I; connectors 83 and 83 are similarly connected to rocker arm 3I5 which shifts yoke 3H to engage or disengage cone 92 with clutch 83; and connector 85 and 85 are also similarly connected to rocker arm BIB to shift 320 for engaging or disengaging cone 93 with clutch 85. In like manner the cone 96 is shifted to neutral position or into engagement with the main feed clutch 81 by connector 81' on one end of rocker arm 3G2 and is shifted into engagement with fast motion" clutch 94 by connector 94 on an opposite arm of rocker-arm 302, which actuates the yoke 304.

The mechanism which operates the clutch cones 9I, 92 and 93 is to be interlocked (as disclosed in said copending application) so that.

when any one of the three clutch cones is operated to engage its clutch head, they automatically disengage any other of said clutch cones that was previously in engagement, this being a safety feature which permits only one of the three feed clutches to be engaged at one time while the other clutch heads and their mating gears run idle on their respective shafts. Also, the counter-shafts 18, I9 and 80 are rotated continuously from the input shaft I6 through their respective handchange gears While the machine is in operation.

The fast motion of the tool slides 23 and 25 (that is, their idle motion'from the time that any tool then in operation has finished cutting and is brought backto clear the subject being machined, the turret indexed, and then moved forward to bring the next set of tools to the subject) is obtained by means of the quick return motor I 116, which runs at constant speed continually during operation of machine, through pinion 91 on motor shaft 98 driving gear ,99 meshing with mating gear 95 of quick return clutch head 94, which latter is engaged automatically by clutch cone 96, when it disengages the main feed clutch 8'1, whereby fast motion is imparted to output shaft 17. When the tools of the turret slide 23 and/or the cross slides 25 are again in position for cutting operations on the work-subject, quick return clutch 94 is disengaged and the main feed clutch 8! is engaged by the cone 96 whereby shaft I1 is again brought to feeding motion. When fast motion is in operation, cluster gear 8B89-90 runs idle on shaft 11 and shaft Iii runs idle in the end of shaft TI, as shown at point 16a.

From output shaft 'Il, feed or fast motion is transmitted to the feed shaft 30 (which operates turret slide 25 and cross slides 25 and 26) through gear It? loose on shaft H but made fast thereto by means of a safety coupling which comprises, in the present instance, a shear pin I08 held in an annular flange I09 on one face of gear I07, and extending into a disc member I Ill disposed within the bushing I89 and keyed to shaft 71. Gear Ill! drives gear III keyed on feed shaft 33. If load exceeds normal operating conditions shear pin I08 breaks through thereby protecting the mechanisms of the machine. After cause for abnormal load is removed, a new shear pin IE8 is inserted and machine is again ready for operation.

A speed and feed control device H2 enclosed in the casing H2 (Figs. 1 and 2), which automatically controls the operations of all the clutches and therefore the operation of the tool slides in particular, is also driven from gear I01 by bevel gear H3 having an adjustable drive connector, as at H4, with the gear Illl, the connector H4 being interengaging teeth or projec tions on opposing faces of gears I01 and H3 and held in adjusted fixed engagement by the nut H5 and shoulder H6 on'shaft I1. Bevel gear-H1 keyed onworm shaft H8 meshes with gear H3 and through wormH9 also keyed on shaft H8 drives worm gear I26 keyed on shaft I2I and drives the central device H2, to which dogs 26:

are adjustably fastened that control the auto matic operation of the clutches of the machine. It will thus be seen that, by having the gear I01 rotatable on the shaft 71 and coupled thereto by the shear pin Hi8, the timing between the control device H2 and the feed shaft 30 (and thus the turret slide) and the cross slides 25 will not be altered should any overload, jamming or other incident occur which would cause the shear pin I08 to break.

As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4, the worm shaft H8 is provided on its outer extremity with a square end I lBa to receive a hand-crank, or other instrument, for hand-cranking the machine for setting-up purposes as is Well understood in the art.

TOOL SLIDES As above stated, all movementsof the main or turret slide 23 and the cross-slides 25 are actuated from the feed shaft 30 through worm hi8, worm wheel I5I' on shaft I53 having fast thereon a single disc-cam I35, which latter is engaged by a cam follower l l'l carried on slide 23 (see Fig. 1), all as more particularly shown and described in the copending application above mentioned.

The clutch control device 214, as fully described in the aforesaid letters patent, or any auxiliary equipment, may be driven from the quick return motor I06 through gears I23, I24, I21, and I28, which latter is keyed on the shaft I26.

Having thus described the invention in the manner in which it is to be performed, it is to be understood that the precise construction and arrangement shown and described is susceptibleof modification and variation. Therefore, the invention in many respects has been claimed broadly so as to permit such variation and change and, in other instances, more specifically.

That which is claimed, as new, is:

1. In a machine having an instrumentality to be operated at different speeds; a speed-change mechanism for transmitting motion to said instrumentality; said speed-change mechanism including at least two sets of power coupling means, each set comprising two couplers and operable means to render one effective and the other ineffective alternately, a power input transmission connected with the couplers of one set and power output transmission connected with the couplers of the other set to effect at least four different speed changes by rendering effective one coupler of each set, and a selecting device to selectively actuate said mechanism by said operable means which render each of said couplers effective and ineffective. I

2. In a machine; a rotatable member; a speedchange mechanism for transmitting motion to said member, said mechanism including twosets of clutches on the same shaft, each set comprising two spaced clutch heads and an interposed movable clutch member, gears on separate aligned shafts connected respectively to gears on each set of clutch heads, whereby at least four speed changes may be eifected by engaging one clutch of each set, and a pre-set selecting device for operating said movable clutch members so that when a movable clutch member of one set is engaged with a clutch head of the same set the other clutch head of said set is disengaged.

3. In a machine tool a rotatably mounted spindle, means for rotating the spindle including two sets of clutche on the same shaft, each set comprising two spaced clutch heads and an interposed movable clutch member, gears on separate aligned shafts connected respectively to gears on each set of clutch heads whereby at least four speed changes may be effected, and a selectable control device for operating said movable clutch members so that when a member of one set is engaged with a clutch head of the same set the other clutch head of said set is, disengaged.

4. In a machine tool, a rotatably mounted spindle, means for driving the spindle including a change-speed mechanism, said change-speed mechanism including a driven shaft, at least two pairs of clutch heads rotatably j ournalled on said shaft, aligned separate shafts each having a pair of gears one of which is connected with each of said clutch heads to be rotated thereby, respectively, shiftable clutch engaging members splined on said shaft and one disposed between the clutch heads of each pair, respectively, whereby when one clutch engaging member of one pair of clutch heads is in engagement with one clutch head of the same pair it disengages the other clutch head of the same pair, and take-oil gears meshing with the gears of each clutch head, the take-off gears engaging the gears of one set of clutch heads having an operative connection therebetween for rotating the same in unison and being independent of the gears of the other set except through said clutch heads.

5. In a machine tool, a rotatably mounted spindle, mean for driving the spindle including a change-speed mechanism, said change-speed mechanism including a driven shaft, at least two pairs of clutch heads rotatably journalled on said shaft, gears one of which i connected with each of said clutch heads to be rotated thereby, respectively, shiftable clutch engaging members splined on said shaft and one disposed between the clutch heads of each pair, respectively, whereby when one clutch engaging member of one pair of clutch heads is in engagement with one clutch head of the same pair it disengages the other clutch head of the same pair, a take-off counter shaft for each pair of clutch heads, two gears fast on each counter shaft and one of said gears meshing with one of said clutch head gears, respectively, powerinput means for driving one of said counter shafts, and power-output means on the other of said counter shafts.

WILLIAM WALLACE POTTER. ALFRED JOSEPH FULLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,005,822 Burrell June 25, 1935 2,075,240 Tautz Mar. 30, 1937 2,156,596 Lloyd May 2, 1939 2,183,514 Granberg et a1 Dec. 12, 1939 2,255,739 Curtis Sept. 9, 1941 2,264,804 Lovely Dec, 2, 1941 2,303,270 Grover Nov. 24, 1942 2,355,623 Bullard Aug. 1.5, 1944 2,355,625 Bullard et a1 Aug. 15, 1944 2,465,942 Von Sundt Mar. 29, 1949 2,466,574 Bullard et a1 Apr. 5, 1949 

